Of the 1507 respondents of the survey, 83% said that their school had a social media policy in place, over two-thirds (68%) said these contained no reference to supporting their own staff should they become victims of online abuse.

When abuse was reported, no follow-up action was taken in nearly half (45%) of cases, with one in three teachers (38%) feeling it necessary to stop using personal social media accounts over potential privacy and abuse concerns.

Whilst it is great that so many schools had a social media policy in place it is vital that this policy has measures in place to support staff. Partners in the UK Safer Internet Centre, SWGfL provide a range of support to help schools improve in this area. Schools can contact the Professionals Online Safety Helpline (POSH), our helpline for professionals working with young people , access free events around the UK, use the free self-assessment tool and see template e-safety policies that can help you to build your own tailored e-safety policy, outlining what should be included and areas that each school or organisation can challenge, consider and debate.

Public allegations

48% said parents were using social media to make public allegations or complaints about a school, including to bodies such as Ofsted, without going through formal channels.

The ‘So you got naked online? leaflet’ helps explore various issues relating to sexting, including what a young person can do if they have shared an explicit image/video, and thinking about the potential consequences.